The link above will take you to a new article about restrictions on railroad photography. It appeared in the Hartford Courant on August 11th, 2004.

Being the fairly incompetent novice and generally unremarkable person in the crowd that I am, I must say it is quite an honor to be mentioned in the same article with so many high profile persons in the railfan community!

And I must say too that I don't recall saying I favor Hawaiian shirts!

David I notice most of your shots are passenger trains. Is this why the cops won't leave you alone? Or does it matter on the east coast?
I shoot all freights that's where my heart is and I probably should have been asked what the hell I was doing more than once, but I have never had anyone ask me what I was doing! We have a metro link in St. Louis with a station platform at the airport that might get me some attention I don't know.

It's not easy to find a freight train where I live. I've seen Providence & Worcestor freights on the New Haven Line, but not often. Freights appear regularly on the Hudson Line too, but generally only in the wee small hours after the commuter trains have called it a day.

Freight service on the Lower Harlem Line, which is right behind my apartment building, was suspended maybe a decade or more ago. I believe the Housatonic Railroad provides infrequent freight service on the Upper Harlem Line. Metro-North ballast trains were fairly frequent during the recent installation of the Harlem Line's new third track. I did get some shots of them. The track installation is finished, by the way, and I took my first ride on it the other day.

The closest major freight line to my home is CSX's River Line across the Hudson River. My guess is photographing freights these days might be just as iffy as passenger trains. Sometimes I think it's not really about the photos. It's about keeping people away from trains and train tracks unless they're actually getting on or off them.

I have to say that freight activity in the northern suburbs of New York City is a mystery to me. I believe most NYC freight comes to New Jersey and travels into Manhattan by truck. It wasn't always so, as any old timer will tell you. But the old, abandoned NYC RR elevated High Line that was built years ago specifically to bring freights into Manhattan may soon become what they call a 'linear park.'

I expect my commuter train pics are boring to some people. I go out of my way to photograph the locomotive-hauled commuter trains. I get the impression Gensis units are more appealing to fans than m.u.'s

I have to say I do sometimes wonder where you guys find all these freight trains you shoot!

I'm looking forward to riding a Metro-North rare-mileage railfan special on September 12th. The train will travel on freight-only tracks between Danbury, CT. and Beacon, N.Y. It's an annual excursion that has been ridden by many fans over the years, but it will be a new experience for me. I don't expect to see any freights, however. The line is quiet by anybody's account.

I probably should have been asked what the hell I was doing more than once, but I have never had anyone ask me what I was doing! We have a metro link in St. Louis with a station platform at the airport that might get me some attention I don't know.

Hell, in St. Louis, you can stand between the tracks and no one says anything!!!!!

The MetroLink. Nothing like sitting along the NS main in Shiloh and hearing that weak, hollow-sounding excuse they call a horn whimpering over the corn fields!!

Got Bob LaMay's FL-9 book at home - Diesels To Park Avenue, co-authored by (the late) Joe Snopek - great comprehensive history of the FL-9, and some great pictures to boot! (had to plug the book a bit more - Bob's a good friend of mine )